Just some photos taken in Balboa Park of people enjoying life.
Scenes of people enjoying life in Balboa Park.
Tag: parks
History at Horton Plaza Park construction site.
A large area between Broadway and the Horton Plaza shopping mall is fenced off for construction. One end of the downtown mall has already been demolished and leveled to the bare ground. The long-neglected Horton Plaza Park is being enlarged!
On the fence surrounding the construction site are a number of interesting old photographs showing the park’s history.
When real estate developer Alonzo Horton built the Horton House hotel (now the U.S. Grant Hotel) in his “New Town” in 1870, he included a small plaza on the hotel grounds. In 1895 he sold the half block plaza to the growing city of San Diego, stating his objective was “to provide a central, commodious and attractive place for public meetings, public announcements, public recreation and for any other proper public purposes, a place where all public questions might be discussed with comfort, where public open-air concerts might be given, where the people might rest, and where children might play in safety.” In 1909 the first fountain in the United States to feature electric lights was installed in the park.
Over the years, the small park has seen a whole lot of history, as the following photographs at today’s construction site demonstrate. Horton Plaza Park was designated a historical landmark by the City of San Diego in 1971.
The streets were crowded with a spontaneous celebration when World War II finally ended.
On November 2, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy spoke at Horton Plaza Park, seeking votes in the upcoming presidential election. A huge crowd turned out.
The beautifully renovated park will include lots of space for public events, including outdoor concerts!
Here’s a pic I took on January 31, 2015…
More photos of Chicano Park in Barrio Logan.
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I took a whole lot of photos during my walk through Chicano Park. Here are some images from the east side of the public park, right next to Interstate 5. A few picnic benches and unusual features can be found in this area.
Some of these photographs might cause a strong reaction. As I’ve mentioned before, this blog aims to be nonpolitical. I just aim my old camera at interesting things around San Diego…and you decide what to make of it all!
This polished memorial stands apart from the murals, by a small patch of green grass.
The colorful outdoor murals of Chicano Park.
Chicano Park is located in Barrio Logan, a mostly Mexican American and immigrant community just south of downtown San Diego. The eight acre park features almost a hundred murals painted on concrete pillars that support the intersection of the Coronado Bay Bridge and Interstate 5. This colorful park, quickly glimpsed by motorists speeding down the freeway, contains the largest collection of outdoor murals in the United States. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its unique history with the Chicano civil rights movement.
I recently took a leisurely walk through the park and captured hundreds of photographs. I’ve got so many pics, I’ve grouped them depending upon their location in the park. This blog post includes photos of murals I enjoyed while walking under the freeway ramps that connect the Coronado Bay Bridge to southbound I-5.
You’ll see a strange mixture of images in these murals: ancient Aztecs, indigenous peoples, workers, revolutionaries, school children, pop culture icons, scientists, politicians…and almost anything else you might imagine. The diverse and often weird combinations seem to include one overarching theme: Mexican American empowerment.
The first photograph shows what I saw as I entered the park, walking up National Avenue from the south. These artists were painting a pillar with an image of Mexico.
I’ve got a ton more pics, so stayed tuned in the days ahead!
Amazing rock balancing at Seaport Village.
If you ever visit Seaport Village, there’s a good chance you’ll see the fellow on the right and his amazing gallery of balanced rocks. He hangs out behind the wall at the water’s edge, right next to the grassy park. (The park is called Embarcadero Marina Park North, by the way.)
People passing by are encouraged to take photos and try out their own rock balancing ability. This lady was having a lot of trouble. Even a small rock edgewise on a water bottle isn’t easy.
With a little cheating she finally succeeds!
Santa and reindeer fly through Balboa Park.
Santa Claus and his magical reindeer were recently seen flying through Balboa Park. A photo was snapped as he sped from the central plaza toward the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. There he is waving at happy children and thrilled park visitors!
A second photo was snapped as the reindeer lifted off into the blue San Diego sky, pulling Santa’s sleigh up and away back toward the North Pole!
Old Saint Nick has to prepare for Christmas!
UPDATE!
Santa returned the following year! Here he is!
Statue of Padres batting champ Tony Gwynn.
A good argument can be made that the most-liked person in San Diego is Tony Gwynn. He’s one of the friendliest, most good-natured guys you’ll ever find, not to mention one of the best hitters ever in the history of baseball. He was voted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame the first year he was eligible. He’s also got a great statue in East Village at the center of Petco’s Park at the Park. You’re looking at it!
Tony Gwynn, affectionately called Mr. Padre, played 20 years for the San Diego Padres, winning eight batting titles and five Gold Glove awards. He appeared in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game 15 times! Today he’s the head baseball coach for San Diego State University.
A quote from Tony’s father Charles appears on the statue’s base: “If you work hard good things will happen.” These words inspired one of the greatest hitters in the history of professional baseball.
UPDATE…
Here are a few closer photos that I took years later, after the tragic passing of Tony.
Kids enjoy tiny ball field at Petco Park.
Downtown residents and visitors to East Village have access to a great public resource. Green grass, shady trees, a large playground, and views of the city can all be freely enjoyed (when the San Diego Padres aren’t playing a home game) at the Park at the Park!
Situated beyond Petco Park’s outfield, surrounded by sleek city buildings, this public park has a small ball field which is perfectly sized for children. In this pic, taken near the end of the baseball season (the Padres were in San Francisco), a family is seen walking across the diamond. Those patches of bare dirt testify to the popularity of the park during the summer and long baseball season.
Here’s a pic taken on 2/8/14 during Padres FanFest…
Here’s a pic taken on 7/6/14 during a Sunday afternoon Padres game. This year Bumble Bee (the tuna company) is sponsoring the kids baseball field, with promotional signs on the outfield fence. A new food concession stand has been added just beyond right field…
And finally a pic taken when no one was around…
Quiet morning walk into Balboa Park.
Here we are strolling eastward across the Cabrillo Bridge into Balboa Park as the sun rises. To the left we see the California Tower, directly adjacent to the domed Museum of Man. During the day, the tower’s carrilon can be heard throughout the park marking time every 15 minutes. At noon the electronic chimes play a medley of beautiful music.
Many walkers and joggers love the peaceful morning atmosphere of wonderful Balboa Park.
Cool San Diego Sights! 